Picture via musicnation
I was never a big fan of Ziad Rahbani. I never liked his plays, his jokes or his views. Some of his songs are ok, specially the ones with Joseph Sakr but that’s about it. He said he’s leaving Lebanon for good but I doubt that Ziad is capable of committing to anything as he wasn’t even showing up to his own concerts lately.
PS: Someone should tell Ziad Russia is no longer communist.
Ziad Rahbani, one of Lebanon’s most talented and controversial musical figures, says he will be leaving his country for good and move to Russia where he will join Russia Today (RT) TV. Rahbani made the announcement during an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Jadeed TV Tuesday and said his departure to Russia would be at the end of the month. Rahbani rejected labeling the move as “immigration,” describing it instead as an opportunity not to be missed in terms of joining RT, where he said he would continue to focus on music in a place he said shared his “political views.” The musician said his presence at RT would benefit Lebanon as he would be working with a global media platform that is translated into multiple languages. [Link]
Here’s his last interview with Al Jadeed.
[YouTube]
Ziad Rahbani is one of the few true and genius artists in Lebanon regardless if people like him or not
and he was never really valued in Lebanon
and for your info almost in every play, concert or whatever event Ziad organized, some people always used to try to mess things up on purpose..few examples like not delivering some accessories needed for the stage, messing with the sound system and much more backstage problems that few close staff can tell you about.
i think it’s better for him to leave this rotten country and go live somewhere were his art is really appreciated
for us Lebanese haifa & co are more than enough..more advanced art can’t be processed by the Lebanese society..
I totally agree with Jule!
Regardless if people like Ziad or not, especially when it comes to his political views.
Lebanon will never have someone like Ziad. I attended more than 20 concerts in the past two years and every time someone tries mess things up, and when he didn’t show up to his concerts it was for a very valid reason ( it happened that i was there twice and i enjoyed the concert as if he was on stage) It’s really sad that such people are never appreciated in our country.
I hope he comes back as you said in the last part of your text and i hope that one day “هجرة الأدمغة” stops in Lebanon.
nice guy, love his thoughts, it’ll be better for him.
I don’t think that being vulgar (“I sh** on this Republic”) is a mark of a genius.
ZR used to wax lyrical about the political side that has turned on him. Good riddance.
*turned against him.
Religious ideologists will always conflict with the average person.. It was only a matter of time before he realizes that.. The full truth is the fact that every single political party in the country is based on religious ideology. They influence the new generation into becoming like them.. The few of us that escapes will simply be in limbo.. in a place where we dont want to hate one another for religious differences yet we find no space to do so in this (جمهورية الخرا) , we prefer to leave, escape and move on.. where often times we are faced with the same demons we left behind. I wish there was hope but i see none. Carl Sagan said “Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.” and yet we hate each other
I agree with fouad, “I shit on this republic” is not a mark of a genius because any lebanese person with an average iq would say the same thing, those who don’t or won’t are the ones still thinking about the lebanon they taught us about in school…
On another note, the genius of this guy is in the fact that you can still LISTEN to the plays he wrote 30 years ago and they still can make you laugh/cry/find something new and relate to every aspect of them…
in one of his plays he said في مؤامرة
and saying those comments about people sabotaging his plays reminds me of في مؤامرة
I don’t know if this مؤامرة is real or only in his creative imagination.